25.6.10

Multilink, Teresta Group and Aethra.net donate videoconferencing equipment and provide free services to Quisqueya University in Haiti

Port-au-Prince, June 25, 2010 – Teresta Group Inc. and Aethra.net, in collaboration with Multilink S.A., donated a videoconferencing system to the Quisqueya University in Haiti. Multilink is also providing the university with free technical support and bandwidth to ensure the smooth running of its videoconference activities.The Quisqueya University was heavily affected by the earthquake that hit the country in January. Its two campuses were entirely destroyed, along with the art gallery and the botanic garden located on the most recent one. Founded two decades ago, this prominent Haitian institution participates in many cooperative programs for education and research with Canadian and European universities. It is attended by nearly 2,000 students. From the beginning, many of them were deeply involved in relief efforts through walk-in and mobile clinics and a mentoring program aimed at children in refugee camps.Videoconferencing with sister universities is one of the means by which these students can continue studying. “The big challenge”, says the rector Jacky Lumarque, “is to get the university up and running in a sustainable way. To do so, we must create now the conditions that will allow us to continue to provide education and serve the community, even without administrative buildings and classrooms. Information and communication technologies will help us begin this transition. On the longer term, they represent a wise choice for our institution.”Teresta Group, Aethra.net and Multilink are pleased to help Quisqueya University in this regard by enhancing its videoconferencing capacity. “This university is a progressive institution that really promotes Haiti’s sustainable development,” says Stéphane d’Amours, Marketing & Communications manager at Multilink. “Their ongoing efforts to make education more accessible in Haiti are perfectly in line with Multilink’s vision of a greater access to digital technologies for all Haitians. We are proud to have this opportunity to support them.”About Teresta GroupTeresta Group is a leading American distributor of videoconferencing products. Its portfolio also features the distribution of audioconferencing products, network devices, network testers and large multiconferencing units (MCU).About Aethra.netA leader in the Italian Conferencing Service Provider market, Aethra.net is an independent Business Unit of the Aethra Group, from where it originated in the early 1990’s.About Multilink S.A.Multilink S.A. is a Haiti-based Internet Service Provider holding a telecommunication license. Number one choice for large companies and institutions in Haiti, Multilink aims to contribute to the development and well-being of the greatest number of Haitians possible by allowing them to take full advantage of the Internet.